i2 and MRO Software have announced a partnership.
i2 and MRO software, both highly visible vendors in their ‘own’ markets, have joined forces in a mutually beneficial way. i2 has acknowledged it needs a partner in the indirect strategic sourcing arena – which compliments its procurement offerings further, in addition to its acquisition of RightWorks. MRO Software conversely, needed a partner in the direct procurement space.
The extended global agreement offers a new set of supplier enablement services on the i2 TradeMatrix Open Commerce Network (OCN). The solution, MRO Services, incorporates the capabilities of MRO Software’s mroDistributor, mroManufacturer and mroConnect as integral components of TradeMatrix OCN MRO Services.
Interestingly, the partnership has focused on creating a viable entry process for distributors – when most eCommerce solutions have focused on making life easier for buyers – often with little regard for the cost of supplier enablement.
Pre-partnership, both companies were often selling to the same users – they were just focusing on different parts of the supply chain. The combined solution offerings will bring together the same industrial users for direct and indirect strategic procurement.
The timing of the announcement has coincided with another ‘bigger picture’ endorsement of the importance of the industrial supply chain.
In early 2001, several majors, (INA Holding, Schaeffler KG, Rockwell Automation, The Timken Group and the Sandvik Group) acquired equity stakes in the MRO software-powered industrial supply eMarketplace, endorsia.com. Endorsia.com is enjoying increasing success in the face of eMarketplaces’ general suffering of late. Its remit is simple – that of buying and selling branded industrial goods, allowing users to streamline product information gathering and ordering processes.
The success of endorsia.com and the increased visibility of strategic sourcing functionality through the MRO Software-i2 partnership mean that this overlooked yet critical component of the supply chain is now receiving the exposure its importance warrants.
